AKB48: The Glass Empire (Varun)

Japanese idol groups are an extremely salient part of its pop culture. More than making music, they have a responsibility to the public. For example, demonstrating righteous values, providing the layperson with respite from his everyday toils. But most importantly: keeping them happy. This article focuses on the tension faced by idol groups when acting against the public’s wishes.

To summarize, the popular idol group AKB48 was made to issue an apology for a marketing campaign in which they sold “Date Tickets”.  The “Date Tickets” provided 100 individuals with the chance to meet with 3 of the members and attend a practice session.  Afterwards, they could meet some other members. The wording of the ticket was met with intense backlash and was eventually changed to “Let’s Cheer on the Performing Members with the Other Members”- hardly as catchy. With a 100/3 ratio there is hardly any semblance of intimacy and romance. At its core, this is an issue of language. Even though the contents are no different than a standard “VIP” Ticket, using the word “Date” was met with unprecedented outrage.

Personally, this situation brought on a twofold realization. First, being an idol is a demanding job. Every move, both public and private, is held under a close lens and scrutinized by fans. There is a rigid rubric that must be followed by anyone bearing the title of “idol”. Any deviation from this established norm would be met by an onslaught from its fan-base. There is nothing genuine about the characters shown on stage. Negligent to this synthetic verisimilitude, the fan remains satisfied.

Second is the fragility of the industry. An “Idol” is a double-edged sword. They garner immense popularity among the public, but this does not translate to influence. In fact, even though they tout certain values, those too are constrained to what fans are ready to hear. If the message is not expected, the conditional love is revoked.

Unfortunately, idols subsist on their fanbase. Out of interest, I read one of the other referred articles on the bottom. The title, “Idol group AKB48 sells 2.5 million copies of new CD, bags full of them end up in trash days later”, captures the essence of this fan dependency. Putting the CD’s in trash is a poetic representation of what idol groups truly are meant to do. It is not about music. Rather, idol groups give fans a wishful way to feel “control”. Their support, their love is what keeps them alive. Their purchase allows the group to continue working. Idol groups offer a fascinating look into the psychology of control and how much man desires it.